If your aim is to tear up sand, the best electric beach cruiser bike could be the Raleigh Retroglide IE. You’ll love that its center of gravity is much lower than your typical e bike, providing additional balance when traversing the strange terrain of beaches. And you’ll get plenty of chances considering its battery can keep pushing well over 40 miles. Does it stand out as the best electric bike? First, read through.
Why We Like It – Raleigh Retroglide IE
This cruiser style Raleigh Retroglide is fitted with a lithium-ion battery that gets 40 miles on a single charge, while its step thru frame and low center of gravity provide extra stability and balance. Do you want to go beyond your biking limits? Open the Rainbod mountain gravel e bike review.
- Can travel over 40 miles on a single charge
- Lower center of gravity for better balance
- LCD screen displays helpful information (battery life, etc.)
- Lacks headlights
- Expensive
Durability & Build Quality
Raleigh gave the Retroglide Cruiser a much lighter build. Its one size frame is made of almost entirely lightweight aluminum alloy. The aluminum frame is then reinforced with geometry and a bit of style. More importantly, it has a much lower center of gravity that provides a nice improvement to balance. However, you will miss the lack of rear shock and bottom bracket. To go for a strong built bike, read the Rambo bikes r750 fat bike review.
Performance (Speed & Acceleration)
With its Bosch Active Line 250W mid drive motor, you’re getting good acceleration—especially when tackling inclines. However, top speed maxes out at 20mph. The LCD screen will actually tell you those metrics (speed, battery life, etc.). The IZIP E3 can travel at 28mph, however.
Range & Battery
Speaking of which, the battery is excellent! On a single charge it isn’t uncommon to travel over 40 miles. The rear hub motor only maxes at 20mph, which means you can expect two or more hours of riding, more when pedal assist mode is introduced.
Safety Features
For such a high price, the Raleigh Retroglide IE Electric Bike is missing safety features we’ve grown accustomed to. It lacks reflective sidewalls and puncture protection on the wheels, in addition to a lack of headlights. The Surface 604 Colt has headlights, however.
Value
When you’re dealing with Bosch, you’re dealing with quality. We won’t dispute that claim. What we will dispute is price. When looking at it from afar, the Raleigh Retroglide IE is rather expensive. This is strange considering some features were ripped out. It doesn’t even have a headlamp! The price limits its buyers to fans of Bosch, who would otherwise feel justified in paying. For beach cruising on a budget, the Juiced City Scrambler is right on the money.
Raleigh Retroglide IE Wrap Up
The Raleigh Retroglide IE earns extra points for quality, but it’s hard to look past that price. For $2750, you’d expect at least a headlamp. It still has some nice features, like a 40+ mile range battery and 20mph top speed. And its lower center of gravity is heaven on your balance.
